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The Finn O’Sullivan Thread

spirit of norm smith
spirit of norm smith
in Melbourne Demons

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Some analysis on Finn O'Sullivan 

ESPN 

Finn O’Sullivan 
Koroit/Xavier College APS/Oakleigh Chargers/Vic Country
MID, 182cm
National Champs: 2 games, 11.5 disposals, 1.5 marks, 3.5 tackles
Talent League: 4 games, 17.2 disposals, 3.0 clearances, 1.2 goals

O'Sullivan was a dominant force through the u16s and as a bottom-ager, but multiple injuries have prevented his best in 2024. Recruiters know what that best looks like, though. O'Sullivan flies for marks around the ground, runs hard both ways with a bounding gait and hits the scoreboard with regularity. His question marks revolve around his ability to accumulate and win contested ball. If those areas improve at the next level, O'Sullivan will become one of the most damaging midfielders in the game.

Best traits similar to: Isaac Heeney
 

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Kevin Sheahan AFL 

Finn O’Sullivan

State: Victoria Country
State League Club: Oakleigh Chargers
Community Club: Koroit
Date of Birth: 30/05/2006
Height: 182cm

A classy midfielder who was one of the dominant players of his age level over the past two years. His elite use of the ball, speed and lateral movement through the midfield are outstanding weapons. Claimed the best and fairest award at the 2022 AFL National Development Championships U16 Boys and followed it up with selection in the 2023 AFL National Championships U18 Boys All Australian side as a bottom-age player. Suffered a thumb injury in his first game of the 2024 Coates Talent League season which began a frustrating run of injuries that restricted his ability to consistently put games together. Was only able to play eight games at club and representative level this year, including two games for Victoria Country at the National Championships and one with Richmond’s VFL team. The last of his matches for the Oakleigh Chargers was his most productive, having 20 disposals and kicking two goals to be his team’s best player in its four-point preliminary final defeat to the GWV Rebels. Tested impressively at the Draft Combine, with his time of 8.14 seconds on the agility test ranked eighth, while he also produced eye-catching performances in the 20m sprint (2.99 seconds) and 2km time trial (6:28).
Weapon: Step through traffic and ball-winning ability
AFL player comparison: Chad Warner

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Finn O’Sullivan came into 2024 as the consensus leading prospect and maintains that status in the eyes of some despite a top-age campaign decimated by injury.

 

The midfielder burst onto the scene in 2022 where he was awarded the Kevin Sheehan Medal as Division 1 MVP at the Under 16 National Championships. 

A boarder at Xavier College, the Koroit native would have been part of Greater Western Victoria’s region but instead linked with Oakleigh Chargers in the Coates Talent League.  
O’Sullivan made his debut last year, playing eight games and backing up his Under 16 All-Australian selection with the same honour as an All Australian Under 18 team, as a bottom-ager.  O’Sullivan was also selected in the 2023 CTL Team of the Year.

A hip complaint during preseason halted his progress, before he injured his thumb in Round 1 and went on to miss Vic Country’s opening championship games after undergoing finger surgery. He was then managed throughout the rest of the season, but finished strongly.

Part of his audition for pick one recognition came in Richmond’s VFL side. O’Sullivan made his state league debut in Round 20, collecting 12 disposals and kicking two goals.
He excelled off the field too, achieving top 10 results in the National Draft Combine’s running vertical jump (second, 93cm) and agility test (eighth, 8.136 seconds).

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    • Thanks 1
     

    Hard to think of a better fit for us in terms of style of midfielder. Still love Jagga and Langford though! Will be really interesting to see who we go with if both Langford & FOS are available at our pick.

    • Like 1
    • Clap 1
     

    If we draft Finn might be a good strategy to draft bo Allan too, capital for Harley Reid plus finn and Harley are mates. 
    imagine the speed with Windsor fos and bo allen combined with bulls Trac, Oliver and viney 

    Edited by Edm

    • Like 1
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    • Shocked 1

    1 minute ago, fr_ap said:

    Ball use horrendous 

    I had the same thought 

    I hadn’t watched much of FOS because I always assumed he’d be gone before our pick, but after watching some highlights I have to say I was underwhelmed

    He clearly has some elite athletic traits and class when in space, but I also saw a lot of up and under kicks and some hacking it on the boot in congestion

    I don’t want to be too harsh on the kid, but if it’s between him and Langford I’m on Langford all the way 

    • Like 2
    1 minute ago, demoncat said:

    I had the same thought 

    I hadn’t watched much of FOS because I always assumed he’d be gone before our pick, but after watching some highlights I have to say I was underwhelmed

    He clearly has some elite athletic traits and class when in space, but I also saw a lot of up and under kicks and some hacking it on the boot in congestion

    I don’t want to be too harsh on the kid, but if it’s between him and Langford I’m on Langford all the way 

    Skinny Dangerfield

    • Like 1

    mmmm.. not sure about this kid. 

     

     
    32 minutes ago, fr_ap said:

    Ball use horrendous 

    I personally didn’t see the horrendous ball use in his highlights you are talking about. Quite often he was running at full tilt or under pressure and hit a number of targets.

    • Like 1
    30 minutes ago, fr_ap said:

    Ball use horrendous 

    I’m going to have rewatch what I just watched then. I just watched his highlights for the first time and would have his disposal & vision to put a teammate in a better position ahead of Jagga Smith. No doubt Jagga is elusive around the stoppage but his disposal is hardly elite. 

    • Like 2

    Some comments on here really leave me scratching my head. Based on a ‘highlights’ reel, some will say he’s the bee’s knees and others talk of his disposal being sub par. How is it that there is such a vast difference in how people see the footage?

    I know they don’t always work out (Weid, Toumpas, Sc..Sc..Sc..Sc..Sc..Scully, etc), but these players get the ranking they are given by the pundits, based on a bit more than just a two or three minute long highlights reel. And the pundits seem to all be in agreement on the top five (not that I’ve followed them too closely).

    I’m going to be content with whoever we take at pick 6(5) as I have faith in Taylor and the coaching team’s judgement…coupled with the fact that this is such an even draft when it comes to picks one to, possibly, fifteen.

    • Love 1
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